Michael Lovati steps into chief purchasing officer role at Volvo Group

Michael Lovati confirmed his appointment in a LinkedIn post published in mid-January, saying he assumed the chief purchasing officer (CPO) role at Volvo Group at the start of the year after serving for five years as senior vice president of group trucks purchasing North America. In an accompanying video message addressed to his LinkedIn community, he said he steps into the role “with deep respect for the legacy of Volvo Group purchasing,” highlighting the importance of long-standing supplier relationships as the industry navigates a period of heightened uncertainty.

Lovati succeeds a period of interim leadership, after Jens Holtinger, executive vice president group trucks operations, was appointed acting CPO in May 2025 following the death of long-serving CPO Andrea Fuder.

Focus on resilience, transparency and partnership

In his remarks, Lovati framed 2025 as a year that underscored the importance of resilience, adaptability and close collaboration across the supply network. He pointed to challenges in the global trade and compliance landscape – particularly tariffs and changes affecting materials such as steel and aluminium – as sources of cost volatility, logistics complexity and sourcing disruption for the industry.

At the same time, Lovati described these pressures as an opportunity to drive greater transparency and more fact-based, open dialogue between OEMs and suppliers. “We will continue to be fact-based in our methods, and transparent in our dialogues,” he said, adding that partnership, speed and disciplined execution will be critical in the year ahead.

He closed his message by thanking suppliers for their continued collaboration and support, noting that sustained cooperation will be essential to delivering innovative, competitively priced products and services for customers worldwide in 2026 and beyond.

Career milestones and roles

Lovati brings nearly two decades of automotive purchasing and supply chain experience to the role. He began his career in 2007 as a buyer at Volkswagen Group of America and progressed through the organisation, eventually serving as senior vice president of purchasing and chief procurement officer for Volkswagen Group of America’s North American operations. His career also included a senior purchasing role at Audi between 2013 and 2015.

He joined Volvo Group in mid-2020 as senior vice president of group trucks purchasing North America, where he led sourcing and procurement activities for Volvo and Mack trucks. In that role, Lovati played a central part in supplier engagement initiatives, purchasing transformation programmes and broader industry collaboration efforts across the North American commercial vehicle supply base. His elevation to the group-level CPO role continues a focus on partnerships. “It’s only through continued collaboration that we will navigate these challenges and seize the opportunities ahead,” Lovati said.